Life of a Not So Ordinary Genie: Thank You 2013

Well, this is it. This is the last day of 2013. If you've not finish cancelling all those things from your 2013 new years resolution or set your 2014 new years resolution, you have less than 24 hours to do so. Have fun.

Anyway, as 2013 draws to a close I really want to thank God for all the blessings and blessings in disguise throughout this year. I would say 2013 has been the best year of this 18 years of living on planet earth. It's a year with the most special, lovely, memorable, amazing and blessed memories that I had and I believe that there's more to come in the following years. Definitely a lifetime worth living.

Here are some highlights for this year. I know I won't be able to list all of them so I'll just share the ones that left the biggest impact on me in chronological order.

My JS Family

Was MIA from home during the first 2 months of 2013. Some may have known where was I missing to while some I was simply gone with the wind after high school.

Just so you know I did not die during the first 2 months of 2013, I was in Jeremiah School aka JS. NO it's nothing like National Service (NS) and it's

Twinny

nothing like jail. Technically I learnt a lot from JS. From theological stuff (OT, NT, Methodism, Spiritual Warfare) to psychological stuff (How to manage your emotions, Resolving conflicts) to personal stuff (BGR, Family, Love). My favorite part of JS definitely wasn't washing hand washing my own clothes nor is it beach day but it was the Quiet Retreats. During Quiet Retreats, we were not allowed to communicate with anybody for 11 and a half hours, only time with God. I remember during one of the Quiet Retreats, the mentors led us in a meditation on Psalm 23. Let's say Psalm 23 is a familiar passage of scripture to me yet this time while it was being read over and over again and we were led walking through a field and several stairs with our eyes closed by a rod, I felt God asking me 'Do you not trust me enough?' and that was my biggest melting point.

Not-So-Little Little Brother

I've been wrestling with God for quite some time about ministries and studies and I was reminded to trust God because "He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake". When we were given time for our own meditation during the Quiet Retreat, I really felt God's presence through nature. I could just stare at the sea for hours and think of God's goodness. I really enjoy being close to nature because to me it's like being part of the original sight when there was no buildings or pollution. It was just like being in the Garden of Eden. Only God and us. No distractions.

Weekend Visitation (Kuala Lipis)

One of the things I enjoyed the most were weekend visitations where we get to visit different churches every weekend. Though all the churches we visited are part of TRAC, it's still kinda different in the sense like how the service is run and the culture of the people from the place. Not only that we got to meet old and new faces we met from camps and events. We also got to bond with each other more as a JS family.

Learnt so many things in JS. The discipline and the fellowship shall not be forgotten. And I thank God that through JS, I've found my twinny, my sisters, my brothers, my mentors, my friends, and my God. Love all you 24+6+those-who-come-and-go. Thank you for being part of my life and thank you for journeying with me in my walk with Daddy.

After JS I came home to find the youths in church doing pretty well. There was initial hurt when I came back because of expectations but the love showered down by church members and some of my mates after that was incredible. It definitely brighten me up. So I had 2 to 3 months of free time, hence, I finally got my license, found a college, went on a holiday, plan for a rally, went for youth camp, planned an Easter sketch for the kids, visited my CF, and got my SPM results. No biggy.

Then it all ended when I started this thing called college. College=A whole new world. Yes hear me sing!!!! College was literally a whole new world in a good way and also in a bad way. Before I started college, many warned me about the potential dangers in college but it's not that bad. Well at least not in the college that I'm in.

First Friends in College (The Es)

College, college. During my first day of college, I always feared that it's going to be high school all over again. All the cina-cina people means I won't have any friends but I really thank God that He placed me in a class with amazing people. Amazing ENGLISH SPEAKING people. I also thank God for the nice-lecturer-turned-monster lecturer (if you know what I mean) because if it wasn't for her we wouldn't even be so close today. Looking back at all the memories of this 2 semester in college, I can't help but be thankful for all that He's given me. Sem 1 was amazing despite of the long long breaks, it really helped us to bond a lot in college. The sleepless nights, the google hangouts, the sleepovers, the movies, and the assignments. Sem 2 was indescribable. The assignments drove me crazy, the timetable was satisfying, the lecturers were amazing, and the conflicts were............ anyhow, after 2 semesters, I learned who to trust as friends and who to trust in assignments. I also learnt that college is about the survival of the fittest but I believe that we all can be the fittest and we all can survive if we work together, work hard and work smart.

Without college, I wouldn't have met my cookie. This guy has been my greatest blessing of 2013. I really thank God for him and I couldn't ask for more. We've been through thick and thin together. He's seen things in me that I don't even see. He's taught me to be strong and to see the light of things instead of the shadows. He's taught me how to love and how to trust. He's taught me how to give and take, to accept love freely. Most importantly he taught me to open up and to smile through the storms. Many times we fight and there are times where it seems like there's no hope but in the end there's always a rainbow. This cookie of mine took me to places I've never been just so I could experience what he has experienced. The heart of gold that I don't deserve yet he is willing to go beyond the borders to captivate me, always going the extra mile just to see me smile. To my mirror that I always want to see smile, he has the smile that could melt even the hardest hard. If you were to ask me what's my best memory with him I would say it was during his birthday at the park where we just walked aimlessly surrounded by greenery and when we reached a place, he just carried me and twirled me around. I always wished that we had a camera then to capture that perfect scene when the time seemed to have stopped and everything seemed so perfect. But it's okay that sight has already been engraved in my heart.

I'm sorry for the times that I hurt you or disappoint you. The truth is I always wanted the best for you just as you want the best for me. Seeing this baby smile is like seeing the light shine. So here's to the 6 months; to be exact here's to the 197 days of love and blessing you have given me. I'm looking forward to spending days with you.

So as 2013 draws to an end, I really thank God for each and every one of you who come and go in my life and I pray that you'll have blessed years ahead. Each of you are significant whether you admit it or not. Continue to be a blessing. I would also like to apologize to those whom I've hurt or offended in any way. Please forgive me. And to those who still hold grudges I pray that you'll find heart to forgive and be forgiven because Jesus had died so that we could be forgiven and that we could forgive.